<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Free to Take Our Crowning Glory by 2nerd4this</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23660932">Free to Take Our Crowning Glory</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/2nerd4this/pseuds/2nerd4this'>2nerd4this</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>beginnings and all that comes with them [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Six - Marlow/Moss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Anna is like the cool aunt, Anne is soft, But people hurt her, Catherine is the protective mom friend, Cathy is my child and I will protect her, Do not forget that Jane is actually younger than most of the other queens, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Katherine must be protected at all costs, Reincarnation, Rude - Freeform, She is still the mom friend, She just lives her life and everyone else can deal with it, Y'all I joined this fandom three days ago give me slack please</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:06:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23660932</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/2nerd4this/pseuds/2nerd4this</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“ ‘Handbook for the Recently Reincarnated’. Huh. I guess... that makes sense.” Catherine trailed off.</p><p>or</p><p>The queens are reincarnated and find themselves forced to face some new faces who seem eerily familiar.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Everyone is friends... eventually, Queens &amp; Each Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>beginnings and all that comes with them [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1724341</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>224</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. death is but the next great adventure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Aight, so I listned to the soundtrack for the first time three days ago, and I have had nothing else to do but become obsessed, so here we are.<br/>I did some basic research that mostly consisted of trying to figure out what Roman Catholics thought Heaven was like, so there are probably some inaccuracies</p><p>Important Note: The Queen's ages are based off their approximate age at death, just so you know.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Catherine of Aragon was sure that she was never going to open her eyes again. She had known that death was coming, and had accepted it willingly. Having been sick for quite a while, it was almost a relief. Besides, she really did not want to see much more of the pretender on her throne. The woman had stolen her life, her husband, and most importantly, her daughter. So, yeah, she was more than happy to die. </p><p>Imagine Catherine’s surprise, then, when she awoke abruptly, feeling the healthiest she had in years. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the light streaming into her room. Sitting up slowly, she took in her surroundings. This was definitely not her room. This was not even her castle. Something was very, very wrong, and it just got worse from there. These were definitely not her clothes, and her skin was significantly darker. </p><p>Panic started to claw its way into the Queen’s heart as she threw off the covers and carefully ventured to the door. The door, unlike any she had seen before, was open. She paused for a moment in the frame, looking back at the disheveled bed. This must be Heaven. It was nothing like her religion had taught her, but that had to be the explanation. Surely a Saint would appear any time now and welcome her properly. Yes. That must be it. Nodding assuredly to herself, Catherine smiled softly and took a few deep breaths. </p><p>---</p><p>Anne Boleyn was absolutely sure that she was never going to open her eyes again. Getting your head chopped off had that effect on a person. And, honestly, she was done with life. If she was to die, so be it. Maybe Heaven would accept her, maybe not. She had accepted it a long time ago. And beheading was a fairly merciful way to go. She was almost grateful to her ex-husband. </p><p>The searing pain in her neck is what woke her. For a fleeting moment, she thought the executioner was not as skilled as his reputation promised and he had failed with the first stroke. That was Anne’s greatest fear. She wanted it over quickly. But that thought vanished almost immediately. There was no swish of an axe swinging or the eerily audible hush of the crowd. Instead, there was silence, at least for a moment, before she could hear something moving nearby. And, slowly, the pain in her neck dulled. </p><p>Opening her eyes, the Queen found herself in a strange place, obviously nowhere near the Tower of London or her home. Quickly studying herself, she noticed that she looked significantly different. Shaking her head to clear her quickly jumbling thoughts, she slipped out of the bed. Maybe this was Hell. Maybe her sins had doomed her to purgatory. Anne dearly hoped that this was not the case, but could think of no other reasonable explanation. </p><p>---</p><p>Jane Seymour has desperately wanted to open her eyes again, but had not dared to hope. She was deathly ill and she knew it. The mother dreaded leaving her son behind, but it was inevitable. Maybe it was destiny. Both of her husband's ex-wives had died within two years of her. Maybe the King was cursed. She had done her best to stay with him, unlike the last two, but to no avail. </p><p>For one quick moment, the Queen thought that she had beaten the illness and been given a chance to live out a happy life with her husband and son. That thought soon faded as she opened her eyes and realized where she was, or, more accurately, the absence of a knowledge of where she was. The room looked nothing like the castle. Her first thought was that her husband had sent her away like the past wives, but she pushed away the notion quickly. She had died. This was something else.</p><p>Blearily, Jane looked around. The first thing that caught her eye was a book sitting on the table next to the bed. Picking it up, she blinked at it for a moment before opening it, only to remember that she was basically illiterate. Sighing, she tucked it under her arm anyway and climbed out of bed. Following her instincts, she slowly wandered out the door and into the hallway. This place must be some sort of afterlife. There was no other logical explanation. Maybe the book she still clutched held the answers. If only the woman could find someone to read it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. the best mirror is an old friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Queens meet and old tensions rise.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A sudden noise to her left shook Catherine from her thoughts. Turning, she gasped softly as a young woman emerged from a room she had not noticed before. The girl was significantly younger than the Queen, and seemed just as confused as her. Catherine approached her slowly, as not to startle her, and tapped her on the shoulder. The girl spun around and made eye contact with the older woman. Both women stood frozen for a moment, looking at each other in shock. The feeling in the bottom of Catherine’s stomach was eerily familiar, unlike everything else in this new world. She did not want to believe her instincts, but she knew who this girl was, even if she looked nothing like the last time she saw her. This was the woman who ruined her life. </p><p>“Catherine.” The girl’s voice was harsh and cold, but the older woman could hear the tremble. She forced herself to push away the empathy that was sneaking its way into her heart and replied, in an equally cold voice. </p><p>“Anne.”</p><p>The women did not move for a long while, seemingly stuck in a standoff. Neither wanted to back down, but neither wanted to anger the other. This was not the time or the place. The Queens might have stayed there for hours if not for a small voice behind Anne.</p><p>“Um, pardon me. I seem to have lost my way. Or... been misplaced. Do either of you happen to know how to read?” </p><p>Anne jumped and turned around, staring at the new arrival. Her eyes seemed fairly familiar, even if the rest of her looked as odd as Anne and Catherine. Catherine coughed awkwardly and stepped past the other Queen, approaching the new girl.</p><p>“I can read. And we are not sure where we are. Are you dead too?” Catherine recognized that she was being blunt, but this was no time for niceties. </p><p>“Yes. Is this...?? Are you...?” The younger girl trailed off, and then shook her head. “Here.” She shoved the book toward the other woman, which she accepted and studied. Reading aloud, she said...</p><p>“ ‘Handbook for the Recently Reincarnated’. Huh. I guess... that makes sense.” Catherine trailed off, looking back at her replacement. </p><p>“ ‘Reincarnated?” The young girl in front of her asked softly. The strange woman was becoming more and more familiar as her kind and meek nature shone through. Catherine smiled softly at her.</p><p>“It is a belief in some religions that people are reborn after death to be given another chance at life. It seems that this has happened to us.” The woman explained. This went against her core beliefs, but she could not ignore what was happening. Suddenly, Anne piped up from behind her. </p><p>“Hey, wait a minute. I know you. You are that girl that Henry messed around with. You were on my court. And Catherine’s. Jane, right?” The beheaded Queen walked up next to Catherine, studying the girl in front of her.</p><p>“Anne? Oh. I... I apologize for causing tensions between you and Henry. You did not deserve what he did to you.” Jane looked quite uncomfortable, but Anne shook her head.</p><p>“Nevermind that. The past is in the past. Speaking of... exactly how long ago do you think that was?” She looked curiously over Catherine’s shoulder to get a peek at the book, but the older woman jerked away. A tense silence hung over the Queens for a moment, before Jane politely cleared her throat.</p><p>“When I died, you had been gone for a little over a year. I am going to assume that it has been much longer, based on our surroundings. I am sure that that book holds many answers. Care to join me in exploring the house for a nice place to read? Well... you will read. I will listen. Obviously.” She gave the older women a shy smile, which they returned. The other two heartily agreed and the three women set off, looking for answers for their situation.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yes that was a Beetlejuice refernce. No I do not regret it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. good books hold knowledge, great books hold wisdom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Queens adapt to the modern world and to living with each other</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Answers, it seemed, were much easier to find than they had imagined. After a short exploration, the women found out that their new home had three floors. Above them were three rooms with sealed doors that they left alone after a few failed attempts to open. Below their rooms was a nice living space full of foriegn objects and furniture. The thing that caught their eyes first was the bookshelf in the corner, full of books titled everything from "A Guide to Modern Technology" to "A Brief History of Everything You Have Missed" to "Society Now: A Complete Guide to Social Norms and Cultural Rules". The women agreed to begin with the book Jane had found and move on from there. </p><p>Many, many hours passed and the girls had only gotten through three books. All this new information was difficult to take in, but they tried their best. The Queens avoided any books that talked about history, taking care to save any unpleasant confrontations between them until they all had a better understanding of where they were. Catherine’s eyes were beginning to ache from all the reading, and even Anne would admit that she was becoming quite overwhelmed from all the new information, so they decided to take a break and experiment with their new modern knowledge. A terrible idea, really.</p><p>Jane had almost broken down after turning on the stove on accident, the fire startling her and the other Queens. Catherine was incredibly proud of herself after figuring out how to turn the overhead light on, but the artificial light was quite unpleasant, so they flipped the switch off quickly. Anne was the most successful, finding the washing machine in the room bordering the kitchen and enjoying herself immensely with all the buttons and knobs. After hours of exploring, the Queens began to find themselves tired, which they all agreed was quite ironic, seeing as they had been dead for five hundred years. Still, they retreated to their respective bedrooms with the intent to get a good night’s sleep. </p><p>This, however, seemed to be impossible as they were still reeling from the events of the day. Jane spent a while going through the drawers and closet, taking in all the new clothing and trinkets, before settling down and opening the Handbook, which she had requested to keep. The third Queen knew that learning to read would not come overnight, but the hours she had spent watching the pages as Catherine read had helped, if just a little. Soon, the young woman fell asleep with the book open on her lap.</p><p>Anne had returned to her room to find a copy of the Handbook also on her dresser, something she assumed she had missed when she first woke up. She settled under the covers and flipped the book open to the chapter about Fellow Reincarnates. Apparently those with which you were reincarnated were connected to you for the rest of this life. Which really sucked, because she was pretty sure that Catherine hated her more than anyone else in the world, even their ex-husband. And she was not that fond of the older woman either. Being stuck with her in this house was probably the worst part of this second chance at life. That and the loss of her old life. But that was not something she wanted to think about right now. Sighing, she closed the book and placed it on the side table, ready to go to sleep. Unfortunately, a knock on the door made it impossible to do that. </p><p>Catherine had no desire to discuss anything with the younger reincarnate, but she had to set something straight before anything else happened. She knocked on the door to Anne’s room, but did not wait for an answer, instead entering and standing awkwardly at the foot of the bed.</p><p>“Look, Anne. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like you, but seeing as we are stuck together, can we call a truce? At least until we get settled. I don’t want to have to deal with a centuries old conflict while navigating a new world, and I definitely don’t want to put Jane in the middle of our feud. Ok?” Catherine shifted nervously, but kept her voice firm. Anne crossed her arms, huffing, but nodded nonetheless.</p><p>“Fair enough.” The younger Queen stared the other down and raised her eyebrows. Catherine bit her lip and nodded. </p><p>“Right. Glad we got that settled. I’ll just...” She exited quickly and shut the door behind her, returning to her room and fell asleep quickly. This could not possibly get any weirder.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry these chapters have been super short. There will be longer ones soon :)</p><p>Shorter chapters do mean faster updates, so thats good I guess.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. sometimes familes are forged through friendship. sometimes those are the strongest of them all</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A new Queen appears, confused and afraid.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The Queens wake up in historical death order, not marriage order. I promise I am not that big of an idiot. I did not forgot the order. This was on purpose, I swear.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It got weirder. And quite rapidly. The three Queens were woken, almost simultaneously, by a loud crashing and a startled yelp from above them. Catherine and Jane quickly rushed out of bed and peered out into the hallway. Anne followed close behind, bleary eyed and yawning. The women looked to each other and then to the steps. Jane took the lead and walked tentatively upstairs. The other Queens followed quickly behind.</p><p>---</p><p>Katherine Howard knew that she would never see the light of day again. Her short life had been ended by the axe of the executioner. There was no coming back from that. Every waking moment since she heard her sentence had been spent dreading this day, this outcome. She had tried her best to take the punishment with grace, like her cousin had years ago, but she was scared. The only thing that kept her going was the fact that soon it would all be over. </p><p>That was why, then, when the teenage Queen awoke, she could not stop herself from panicking. The axe was supposed to end her suffering. It was finally all supposed to be over. Not... whatever this was. Katherine jumped out of bed, bumped into the table, and sent the strange objects on it tumbling to the floor. Startled by the sudden noise, she yelped and backed up quickly, only for her knees to hit the bed and fall down again. She lay there, breathing heavily, attempting to process her surroundings. Something was very, very wrong, and she prayed that it was not her fault, and, even more so, that Henry was not here, wherever ‘here’ was.</p><p>---</p><p>Jane reached the top of the steps and peered down the hallway. One of the previously sealed doors was wide open, and there were soft noises coming from within. The young Queen looked hesitantly back at the others. Catherine gave her an encouraging nod and Anne smiled. Jane took a breath and walked toward the open door, gesturing for the other two to wait where they were. Peering in, she saw a young girl curled up on the disheveled bed, a lamp and the Handbook strewn on the floor at her feet. Jane felt her heart clench in sympathy at the sad scene. She knocked softly on the doorframe, trying not to startle her, but to no avail. The girl jumped and sat up quickly, pushing herself up against the headboard and bringing her knees up to her chest, eyeing the older woman carefully. </p><p>“You’re ok. You're safe, kid.” Jane held her hands up in front of her, approaching the bed slowly.<br/>
She would hate to startle the poor girl any more than she already was. “I’m Jane. No one here will hurt you, I promise.” The Queen perched on the end of the bed, watching as the smaller girl uncurled herself a little and shifted nervously. Jane was more than happy to wait until she was ready to talk. The two sat in silence for a long while, and Jane was almost shocked when the other broke the silence.</p><p>“I died, right?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, and almost hopeful Jane smiled sympathetically at her and nodded. </p><p>“Yeah. I did too. It's ok, though. We are alive again. It is a really, really long story, and I can explain later if you want, but the most important thing to know is that you are safe.” The smaller girl nodded a little and seemed to breathe easier. </p><p>“How long...?” she trailed off</p><p>“Five hundred years.” Jane smiled at the shocked look on her face. “Approximately. Depending on when you died. Speaking of, may I know your name?”</p><p>“Katherine. Howard.” Her voice was still so quiet, even if she appeared to have relaxed a little. </p><p>“Howard? No, yeah, that makes sense.” At the girl’s confused look, she clarified.  “I’m Jane Seymour. Henry the Eighth's third wife.” </p><p>“Oh. Well... I am his fifth. Wait... is this on purpose?” Katherine’s voice rose in pitch, trepidacious excitement creeping its way into her words. </p><p>“Yeah. His first two wives are out in the hall. We think we have been given some sort of second chance, to live life without him controlling us.” Jane explained, but the younger Queen seemed to have stopped listening. </p><p>“Anne? Is Anne out there?” Kath’s excitement was hard to miss and Jane smiled at the innocence that was shining through. </p><p>“Yeah. Do you want to see her?” The young girl nodded enthusiastically and Jane smiled and stood up, going to the door to beckon the other Queens into the room. “Catherine of Aragon is here too. Is it ok if she comes too?” Katherine nodded and both of the other Queens entered the room, smiling nervously at the girl. The youngest Queen was immediately drawn to Anne, and the others noticed at once, so they stood to the side as the two looked at each other.</p><p>“Katherine.” Anne stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the girl in the bed. “I can’t believe that Henry married you. Not because of anything you did.” She corrected quickly. “You were just so young when I died. And... oh my Lord. I never thought I would see you again.” Anne walked to the side of the bed and stared at her cousin. Katherine reached out tentatively toward the older woman. Anne sat next to her and wrapped her arms around the youngest Queen. They shifted so that the elder of the two was leaning against the wall, running her fingers through the other’s hair. Her hand stopped, though, as it reached her neck. Shocked, she looked down at Katherine.</p><p>“Kitty, you poor girl. I am so, so sorry. Henry.... I cannot believe he would do that to you.” Anne’s voice faltered and she felt tears forming. The girl in her lap just sniffled and hugged her tighter. </p><p>--- </p><p>The other two Queens watched the scene in front of them with aching hearts. They had both known of Katherine in their old lives, but she had been incredibly young. And the girl before them could not be over twenty. They both knew that Henry had his faults, but they could not believe that he would execute such a young child. For the girl to be so terrified, her death must have been awful. They were both glad that Anne was there to comfort her, because they were not sure they would be able to help much.</p><p>Silently, they agreed to leave the cousins alone and give them space. Shutting the door softly behind them, Catherine and Jane retreated to the main floor and settled down into the armchairs. </p><p>“If Kitty showed up a day later than us, do you think that there might be more?” Catherine asked. </p><p>“Perhaps. She did say that she was the fifth. There must have been one more in between Jane and her. And if my math is correct, Henry would have been in his fifties when Katherine died. He could have lived long enough to marry more women. We could...” Jane trailed off, looking hesitantly at the older Queen. Catherine shook her head quickly.</p><p>“No. I refuse to look at our histories before we are able to talk to each other about the past. I really, really do not want to know what historians thought of us. The most reliable sources are us. And if more Queens show up, we will go from there.” Catherine sounded incredibly matter-of-fact, and Jane could not have disagreed, even if she did not trust the older woman, which she did. There was something inherently trustworthy about the first Queen that was impossible to ignore. </p><p>“Well, there are two more doors. So two more Queens?” </p><p>“Maybe. I guess we will just have to wait and see” Catherine said, opening up the book she had pulled from the shelf. “In the meantime, would you care to join me in doing more research? I can help you learn to read, if you like.” </p><p>Touched by the gesture, Jane nodded and shifted so she could see the book the other woman was holding. Together, the Queens read about all sorts of new inventions and electronics. Upstairs, the beheaded cousins had drifted to sleep, still clutching each other. The pairs of women stayed like this for hours, becoming more and more comfortable in this new life.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I did not mean for this to get super sentimental, but it did, so here we are.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. new faces, old frienships</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Another Queen appears and the count is up to five</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As you can probably tell, I am taking some creative liberties and deviating from history, especially by giving some of the Queens prior relationships. It is moslty for plot reasons.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Catherine Parr dearly hoped that she would see the light of day again. She had so much to live for, so much that she never had before. A husband who finally seemed to love her, the daughter she had prayed for for years. She had survived the death of three husbands, one of whom had almost had her executed. The same one who had lost all five of his previous wives. She had been so relieved when Henry had died, not that she would ever admit that to anyone. She was more of a nurse than a wife, and lived in constant fear of death or divorce.</p><p>Still, she knew that she had not survived the sickness that had taken her after she gave birth to her Mary. Wherever she was now, it was not her home. Opening her eyes, the Queen took in her odd surroundings. The thing that first grabbed her attention was the book on the table near her head. Sitting up, she grabbed it and read the title. That explained... a lot. Or nothing at all. Or both. Catherine stood up and made her way out the door, into the hallway, looking around. The woman prided herself on being curious, something that had helped her academically in her old life, but hindered every relationship she ever had with a man. This was why the Queen did not hesitate before descending the stairs across from her door, but also why she attempted to remain as silent as possible. If what she thought was happening was really happening, she had to be careful. </p><p>---</p><p>Jane and Catherine had managed to finish the entire book, titled "Social Media for Newbies", in a matter of hours. The younger Queen was a much better reader than she gave herself credit for, something Catherine had learned quickly. And Jane was beginning to like this woman more and more with each passing moment. They had known each other in their past lives, sure, but amidst the pressures of the court and the drama with Henry, they had never been able to develop a genuine relationship. Their lives had always been governed by the King. That was the reality for everyone in that castle. And now... it would take some adjustment... some major, major adjustment, but they were now able to form relationships with each other that had nothing to do with their shared ex-husband. </p><p>Around noon, they had raided the refigerator for food and taken some slices of precut meat and cheese up to the girls upstairs. They did not want to attempt to cook, so instead settled for these snack foods, eating some themselves, before returning to their exploration of the new world. Now, for instance, they were attempting to turn on the desktop computer that sat on the desk in the living room. It came with a detailed instruction manual, but the women were having much more fun laughing at the ridiculousness of the device than following the directions, so they quickly gave up and sat back down on the couch, still smiling softly. It was then that movement in the stairwell caught Jane’s eye. </p><p>A woman, definitely not either of the other Queens who were still upstairs, was seemingly attempting to hide in the shadows of the stairs. ‘Scared’ would not be the right word to describe her, but she was doing her best to avoid detection. Jane would not have noticed her at all if the woman had not been rendered frozen as she took in the confusing sight in front of her. The young Queen nudged Catherine and tilted her head in acknowledgement of the newcomer. The older woman followed the gesture, raised her eyebrows in surprise, and nodded at Jane. This woman was small, but probably a little older than Jane. She had also noticed the other presences in the room, which had shaken her from her trance, and was staring at them tentatively. The two Queens both gave her reassuring smiles, and Jane raised a hand and wiggled her fingers welcomingly at her.<br/>
“Hello....” Her voice shook every so slightly, evidence of the completely reasonable fear that she was feeling, but was doing a superb job of faking confidence. </p><p>“Hello. Welcome to the land of the living. Literally.” Catherine smirked a little at her own joke, which seemed to ease the woman, who smiled nervously and finished descending the stairs to perch awkwardly by the wall, a few feet from the other women, still lounging on the couch comfortably. It was then that they noticed the book that she clutched like a lifeline. “Reincarnation. Crazy thing, huh?” The woman seemed startled and looked up, making eye contact with the other woman for the first time.</p><p>“Yeah. Wait. I think... I think I am supposed to know you. Were you...? Were we all reincarnated?” </p><p>“Mhmm. And you probably do know me.” Catherine stood and approached the increasingly familiar stranger. “Catherine of Aargon, or Catalina, first wife of Henry VIII, Queen of England.”</p><p>“Catalina? Oh yeah... yeah that’s right. I’m Catherine Parr, sixth and final wife of Henry VIII. Do you remember me? I’m your goddaughter. My mother served you during your reign.” The younger Catherine shifted her weight from foot to foot nervously, eyeing the other woman carefully. </p><p>“Cathy! Of course I remember you, dear. We have so much to catch up on. Later, of course. I’m sure you have many questions.” Catherine smiled wide and lay her hand affectionately on Cathy’s shoulder. The younger Queen returned the smile hesitantly. Jane, who had watched the exchange fondly, stood and approached the two, remembering something the younger had said.</p><p>“You were the last wife of Henry?” At the Queen’s startled, slightly confused look, Jane apologized quickly. “Sorry. Hi. Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII.” Cathy quickly nodded in recognition and responded.</p><p>“Hi. Yes, Henry died a few years before I did. I then married your brother, funnily enough.”</p><p>“You did what?” Jane asked incredulously, and immediately regretted it when the older woman flinched a little. </p><p>“Sorry.” Cathy said, voice much quieter than before. “That was not well timed, I did not mean to upset you. I just... thought it was a funny coincidence was all. Not that I didn’t know you were one of his wives. I knew that, of course. Which, in hindsight, makes my marriage to Thomas a little odd. In my defense, I loved him before my marriage to the King. Oh, does that make this weirder? I definitely did not...” Cathy showed no sign of slowing down, so her godmother quickly cut her off.</p><p>“Ok, dear, take a breath. We understand. Breathe.” Catherine commanded, holding her hands out in front of her in a soothing motion. </p><p>“I apologize, I was not trying to seem cross, I was just startled, that’s all. You do not need to explain your life choices to us.” Jane rapidly apologized. Cathy nodded slowly and composed herself.</p><p>“Right. Sorry. So... reincarnation, huh? That’s... cool.” The Queen chuckled a little and smiled at the others. </p><p>“That certainly is one word for it.” Jane smirked. </p><p>“A couple others are ‘terrifying’, ‘unbelievable’, and ‘freaky’.” Cathy turned around, startled at the new voice and Jane and Catherine looked up to see Anne and Katherine standing on the stairs. The smaller of the two waved and gave them a friendly smile. “Katherine Howard, fifth wife to King Henry VIII. Although, you probably already knew that. This is Anne Boleyn, second wife. Which you also probably already knew. Anyway....we heard voices and decided we should come join the fun.” The cousins finished descending the steps and joined the circle of Queens. </p><p>“I gave Kitty a quick rundown of everything we know so far. Catherine Parr, right?” Anne turned to the newest addition to the group. </p><p>“Yep. Nice to see you again. Is this everyone who is here?” This question was directed at the eldest Queen, who nodded.</p><p>“We are missing number four. Catherine, I suppose you know who that is?”<br/>
“Anna of Cleves” Cathy and Katherine answered in unison, and then looked at each other and giggled. </p><p>“Right... I think that is going to get really annoying, really quickly. We need nicknames for the Catherines.” Anne said, also laughing a little. </p><p>“I call Cathy.” The sixth Queen said, quickly, raising her hand into the air. </p><p>“You all can call me Catalina if that makes things easier. It is quite odd that three of us share a name.” The eldest noted, the others nodding.</p><p>“And I’m calling you ‘Kitty’, whether you like it or not.” Anne pointed at the youngest, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. Kitty scoffed, but smiled nonetheless.</p><p>“I would expect nothing less. But, yeah, Anna is really cool. You guys will like her when she gets here. I served her during her reign. Henry divorced her pretty quickly, but she was really nice.” Cathy nodded, agreeing.</p><p>“Last I heard, she was living comfortably in a castle Henry gifted her in return for a smooth divorce.” </p><p>“I guess he learned his lesson with me.” Catalina smirked. The others laughed. </p><p>“Would you like us to catch you up on what we know so far?” Jane spoke up for the first time in a while, looking at the final Queen. Cathy shook her head.</p><p>“No, thank you for offering, though. I prefer to figure these things out for myself, and I spotted a rather tantalizing bookshelf earlier. May I assume that that is where you all got your information from?” Jane nodded and Catalina smirked.</p><p>“I almost forgot how much this one enjoys reading.” she said, tilting her head toward her goddaughter. Cathy smiled shyly at that, but still walked shamelessly toward the bookshelf, grabbing a few books off the shelf and sitting down, first opening the Handbook she had found in her room.</p><p>“Well then. While we wait for our final friend, do you two care to help Jane and I figure out this computer? We were struggling a bit earlier and could use a couple more pairs of eyes.” Catalina turned to the cousins questioningly. They both nodded enthusiastically, following the older woman to the desk, with Jane trailing behind. For the next few hours, Anne and Kitty tinkered with the computer while Jane and Catalina watched amusedly, eventually returning to the couch to chat. Cathy was quickly caught up on the books the others had read earlier and wandered over to the desk to watch the cousins. Any tensions from their past lives were forgotten, or at least being temporarily ignored, and the house seemed oddly peaceful for being occupied by five reincarnated Queens from centuries ago. At least for the time being.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I need y'all's opinion. This was originally going to be just about the reincarnations, but I've been having way too much fun, and I really want to expand on relationships and drama and stuff, so should I...</p><p>1) Wrap it up after Anna gets here and then write another story expanding on their relationships and tensions and stuff and make it a series thing or however that works</p><p>2) Keep this one going and include the tensions and relationships in the same fic</p><p>3) Something completely different, I dunno.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. every ending is also a beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The final Queen arrives and the weirdest sort of family is formed.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter was born from my four day mental breakdown because of my school being cancelled for the rest of the year. So... its kind of a mess, but its a good ending anyway, at least in my opinion.</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anna of Cleves had no desire to see the light of day again. The sickness that had taken ahold of her was painful and she had lived a fairly fulfilling life. Being shipped over from Germany to marry some random guy turned out pretty well in her favor and she died comfortably. She had lived to see Henry and all five of his other wives die. In the Queen’s mind, that was a huge success. </p><p>When Anna opened her eyes, she was more annoyed than scared. Confused, definitely, but mostly annoyed. She had been shipped around from place to place so many times in her life that she just wanted to stay put and be at rest. And wherever she was now, this was not anywhere she knew. The Queen rolled out of bed and walked out the door. The hallway was quiet and dark, with no sign of any other life. Anna took a calming breath and ventured down the stairs, passing the equally dark hallway on the next floor, all the way bottom, where she could see a little peak of light. </p><p>Emerging into the kitchen, Anna spotted the source of the light. Hunched over a desk on the other side of the counter was a woman, pouring over a notebook that was bathed in some sort of light, though the source confused the Queen. Shifting nervously, Anna cleared her throat and stepped closer. The woman spun around in shock and stared, surprised, at Anna. The Queen held up her hands placatingly.</p><p>“Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.” The girl shook her head and smiled a little.</p><p>“Oh, no worries. I’m glad to see you. Besides, I was just finishing up here.” She stood up and approached Anna confidently, at which the Queen immediately backed up quickly. “Right, sorry. I’m new at this whole welcoming thing. It is quite unfortunate that you are stuck with me, actually. Catalina is much better at this. Um...” The woman returned to the desk and shuffled a couple books around before pulling out a thick gold one. “Here. I can totally explain everything, but this might work better.” Anna took the book and looked at the woman questioningly before reading the title. “So... there’s that. And... what else do you need to know? Oh! Oh shoot.” She jumped at the outburst and looked back at the woman. “I’m Catherine Parr. Yes, that Catherine Parr. Upstairs sleeping are all of the other wives of Henry the Eighth.” Anna looked blankly at Cathy, trying to comprehend all of the sudden new information. The other Queen backtracked quickly. “Sorry, I’m sorry. Would you rather just read the book and I can answer any questions?”</p><p>Anna took a shaky breath and nodded hesitantly. Once Catherine had introduced herself, she was starting to look, or more accurately, feel more familiar. Everything she had just said was insane and unbelievable and... actually surprisingly believable. So Anna sat down on the couch and opened the book. Catherine, who was nothing like Anna had assumed she was like, sat down next to her awkwardly, perched on the edge of the couch, like she was ready to run at the first sign of trouble.</p><p>“Are you alright?” Anna asked. The other woman started and looked at her.</p><p>“Yeah, of course, I just don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I mean, I just showed up earlier today and you are so much more composed than I was and I know that you don’t really like me, completely understandable, by the way, but I really...” She was cut off quickly by Anna raising a hand.</p><p>“Woah. First of all, I am freaking out on the inside. Secondly, if I am understanding this whole... mess correctly, our old lives and opinions of each other don’t matter anymore. That's what reincarnation is, isn’t it? New bodies, new relationships, new... whatever this place is. And I would really appreciate someone helping me through this.” Catherine nodded at that and a small smile spread across her face.</p><p>“Right. I can do that. And the other Queens should be up soon enough, so you can meet them. Or re-meet some of them I guess. Kitty is really, really excited to see you.” </p><p>“Kitty?” Anna questioned.</p><p>“Katherine Howard. We have nicknames because there are three Catherines. I’m Cathy, and Aragorn is Catalina.” Cathy quickly explained. The older Queen nodded in understanding, looking back to the book in her hand. </p><p>“Well then, ‘Handbook for the Recently Reincarnated’. Sounds fascinating.” Anna joked, opening the book and glancing at Cathy. The other Queen had curled up at the end of the couch and was softly smirking at her. Anna shifted back to sit more comfortably and began to read.</p><p>---</p><p>Catherine of Aragon had not slept well. She had hoped that after the first full day after reincarnation, she would have been able to sit down for a moment without dropping into another bout of overthinking and anxiety. The first night she had not slept at all, instead she sat and read and reread the Handbook, looking for so many answers to so many endless questions. Last night, she had laid in bed for hours before finally falling into a restless sleep. The whole ‘reincarnation’ thing was getting to her more than she would care to admit. Were there more reincarnated historical figures out there? Where did this house come from? Would more people from their past show up or just Henry’s ex-wives? The Handbook, while being incredibly thick and seemingly endless, left a lot of unanswered questions. </p><p>Still, the first Queen knew that she was not going to get any more sleep and the sun was starting to peek through the curtain. She could hear movement downstairs as well as the tell-tale signs of others awaking around her. Sighing, she rolled out of bed and folded the covers up. The closet of clothes was overwhelming and she had just managed to figure out how to operate the bathroom at the end of the hall, so instead of changing clothes or washing up, she just went straight downstairs. </p><p>As she suspected, there were already lights on in the living room and two forms sitting on the couch. What was unsuspected, though, was the new person who was sitting with Cathy. They all had known that it was possible that Anna would appear during the night, which was why Cathy had volunteered to stay up and wait anyway, but Catalina had assumed that the younger woman would have woken them all up to greet the newcomer. The two were chatting amicably and looked to be getting along fairly well, which relieved the eldest Queen. There was a large potential for awkward relationships full of silence and tension in a group of women who only knew each other from the time they were all married to the same man. But it was probably a tad hypocritical to judge the others for being tense around each other when she and Anne had barely spoken a word to each other since the first night. Eventually, they probably should sort that out, but for now Catalina was content to avoid her successor until they were forced to work together and it devolved into something worse. </p><p>Anna and Cathy had noticed the older woman’s entrance and halted their conversation as Anna smiled awkwardly at her. </p><p>“It's nice to meet you Anna. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Catalina greeted kindly and walked over to sit across from the women in the armchair. “Catherine of Aragon, or Cataline. First wife.” </p><p>“Pleasure to meet you. Cathy here has been giving me a run down of our situation, and I read the Handbook. We were just waiting for the rest of you to wake up.” Anna responded kindly.</p><p>“Good, good. Speaking of, how long have you been here?” Catalina asked, quite curious because neither woman seemed especially tired, and Cathy must have been up all night if she was waiting for the final Queen. </p><p>“A couple hours at most.” Cathy replied. Catalina looked at her incredulously.</p><p>“And you aren’t tired? We offered to take tonight in shifts Cathy.” The Queen admonished lightly. The younger woman smirked and shook her head.</p><p>“Like I could have gotten any sleep anyway. This situation has given me an odd combination of pure adrenaline based in confusion and sheer exhaustion that has left me with the inability to sleep but also the inability to have a single logical thought.” At this, Catalina laughed.</p><p>“Poetic”</p><p>“Thank you, I really try.” Cathy said sarcastically, smiling widely. Anna watched the interaction amusedly. If this is what this house was going to be like all the time, she would fit right in. </p><p>“Anyway, the rest of them should be waking up soon. I was thinking that I should attempt to make breakfast. No promises that it will be any good seeing as I still cannot comprehend the refrigerator, but I’m tired of meat slices and cheese cubes. Would you all care to join me?” Catalina stood and asked. The others stood with her and nodded, heading toward the kitchen, ready to brave the mysteries of modern breakfast.</p><p>---</p><p>Jane Seymour had been awake for hours. She had slept surprisingly well at first, but something must have woken her up in the middle of the night and she had slipped into an endless cycle of thoughts and questions. This ‘reincarnation’ thing had left her reeling and reconnecting with her fellow Queens was an incredibly odd experience. She had never seen Catherine or Anne as threats or enemies, but finding out that there had been three more after her had hurt more than she cared to admit. Plus, in her last life, she had just begun preparing to be a mother and had spent so much time dedicating herself to be a dutiful wife. Now, she was a free woman in a house without a child in sight. Katherine had reawaken some motherly instincts inside of her and she had a feeling that she was going to have to fight to not be incredibly overbearing and motherly to the other women in the house, especially when most of them were older than her.</p><p>When the sun had made its way all the way up her window and spread all around the room, the Queen decided it was probably time to get up. She attempted to straighten up her bed, but any effort past that made her overwhelmed, so she decided to skip any other usual morning rituals and go straight downstairs.</p><p>The sight that greeted her in the kitchen caused Jane to laugh quietly. Cathy was sitting on the counter, casually munching on some grapes while watching Catherine attempt to operate the microwave. An unfamiliar woman, who she assumed to be Anna, was pouring through a book, probably trying her best to aid the older woman, but seemingly to no avail. Jane approached them and leaned on the counter next to Cathy.</p><p>“Good morning ladies.” Both Anna and Catalina jumped at her words and spun toward the new arrival. Cathy snorted, which earned her a soft glare from her godmother, before they all turned their attention back to Jane. “Anna of Cleves, I presume. Jane Seymor, number three. Pleasure to meet you.” </p><p>“You as well. These fine ladies were just introducing me to the fine world of the microwave, or attempting to anyway. Would you like to join us? We are making breakfast. And by we, I mean Catalina and I, obviously. Someone...” Anna glared at the girl perched on the countertop, “gave up five minutes in and finds us quite amusing.” Cathy stuck her tongue out at the other Queen, who hit her leg lightly with the book she had been reading. Jane laughed and stepped over to peer at the microwave next to Catalina. </p><p>“Sounds fun. What exactly are we making?” </p><p>---</p><p>Anne Boleyn had slept amazing well given the current circumstances. She and Kitty had settled down in her room, both sure that they were not going to get a wink of sleep, so instead they decided to stay up and talk. Catching up had been amazing and the more Katherine spoke about her past life, the more Anne wanted to strangle every single man she ever saw again, but they quickly changed the topic when they both became a little too emotional. Sometime in the night, they must have fallen asleep, because Anne woke up to the sun pouring through the curtains and across the bed. Curled up next to her was her cousin, looking quite peaceful. The Queen could hear clattering and soft voices coming from downstairs and realized that they were probably the last ones asleep. Rolling over, she shook Kitty gently.</p><p>“Hey Kit, it's time to wake up.” The younger girl groaned and pulled the blanket over her head. Anna laughed and pulled it back down, poking her shoulder. “Anna might get here today. She could be downstairs right now for all we know. Come on, Kit.” At this, Katherine perked up immediately. She sat up and looked at her cousin.</p><p>“Ok, ok, I’m awake. Geez, I get the first good night’s sleep since forever and then I am dragged from this heavenly mattress by my jerk of a cousin.” The youngest Queen glared at Anne as she rolled out of bed. Anne smiled softly, appreciating her genuine teenaged attitude. </p><p>“Oh come on. You know you love me.” The older girl elbowed her cousin in the ribs, who yelped dramatically. “Let's go downstairs. I smell something cooking.”</p><p>---</p><p>When Katherine and Anne entered the kitchen, they were met by a loud cheer.</p><p>“Anne, look! We made toast! Like, in the toaster and everything!” Jane rushed over to the girls, pulling them over to the counter where a plate was stacked with slightly burnt bread. Catalina was standing there, apparently very proud of their accomplishment. She wished them a good morning before a thought occurred to her and she opened the fridge and began digging around. </p><p>“They have spent the last hour trying to make breakfast. It's a miracle they didn’t burn down the house. At least I know when to admit defeat. I gave up a while ago, but watching them was incredibly amusing.” Cathy was sitting on the corner of the counter, leaning against the wall. The young woman reached toward the plate of toast, but her hand was quickly swat away by Jane. Catherine pouted dramatically and crossed her arms, huffing. From the fridge, Catalina rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Cathy, leave the toast alone. If you didn’t help make breakfast, you have to wait like everybody else.” The girl in question stuck her tongue out at her godmother’s back, but leaned back anyway. “Ha! Found it. The book suggests putting butter on the toast.” The older woman emerged from the fridge and turned, setting the butter on the counter. Anne watched Catalina butter a piece of toast, and then stepped in to help. Jane was setting out plates on the table and Cathy reached into the cabinet above her head to pull out cups. Katherine perched at the end of the counter, watching her new housemates flawlessly maneuver around each other. Suddenly, someone opened the sliding door that led to a screened-in porch and entered the living room. The woman skirted the couches, walked around the table, and sat on the stool by the counter. Kat watched her, frozen to the spot, suddenly incredibly nervous. This must be Anna. The latest Queen surveyed the kitchen and noticed the two extra people. She made eye contact with Katherine and a huge smile spread across her face.</p><p>“Katherine!” The woman immediately jumped off the stool and ran around the counter, stopping just in front of the younger girl. Kat stared at her, frozen for a moment, before wrapping her arms around the tall Queen. Anna smiled and returned the hug. The rest of the Queens stopped what they were doing to watch the reunion. The women stood there for a while before Catalina cleared her throat.</p><p>“While this reunion is touching and beautiful, we made you all breakfast and if you don’t eat it soon, it will get cold. We all can catch up later. Come on, ladies. Sit down, come on.” The oldest Queen shooed the rest of the women to the table. Jane sat down in the chair at the head of the table since she was the closest. Kat and Anna slid onto the bench on one side of the table, Cathy and Anne sitting across from them. Catalina brought the food over, including a bowl of grapes and other small snack foods, before sitting across from Jane. </p><p>“I have a feeling that these ‘family’ dinners are going to be a rare occurrence, so appreciate it while it lasts ladies.” </p><p>“Family?” Anna questioned. Jane nodded.</p><p>“Of course. What else would you call it?” Anna shrugged. </p><p>“Now don’t get me wrong. I cannot imagine a universe in which this period of calm lasts, but is that not the nature of families? Besides, we might as well make the most of this second chance we’ve been given.” Catalina addressed the table like a mother speaking to her children, which struck the younger Queens, especially Cathy and Kat, as oddly fitting. And the things she said were accurate. The six women sitting around the dining room table had been given a second chance at life, and none of them wanted to waste it on old feuds from five hundred years ago, but tension and arguments were going to be unavoidable. </p><p>---</p><p>Still, an unspoken agreement was formed that morning at breakfast. For the next few weeks, there were many loud fights, and many, many more silent tears in the dead of night. Queens who hated each other in their past lives were forced to talk and Queens who knew nothing of each other in their past lives were forced to form new relationships. But no matter what came between them, the six ex-wives of Henry VIII were dedicated to navigating this strange new world together and making the most of every single minute.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is the last chapter of this particular story, but I have started a couple other short stories detailing some events that happen shortly after this story, moslty about tensions between the Queens and their relationships and stuff. Keep a look out for those if you enjoyed this story, because I am super excited about some of them. </p><p>Thank you so much for reading this fic, it has really helped me cope with quarantine and boredom, and I am so glad that this has gotten so much great feedback. Y'all are amazing.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I appreciate comments and critiques. :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>